Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Hidden beneath the Chihuahuan Desert and the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and west Texas lies the incomparable Carlsbad Caverns. Massive subterranean chambers are filled with dripping stalagtites, stalacmites and other beautiful cave formations. The 8.2-acre Big Room is accessible for visitors of all skilllevels, including those in wheelchairs. For the more adventurous there are guided and self-guided tours of varying difficulty. Climbing through narrow passageways to reach the Hall of the White Giant or in Spider Cave is more challenging but well-worth the effort. The park contains 113 of these caves which were, formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating some of the largest caves in North America. The caves are also home to Mexican free-tail bats, that make their daily exodus at dusk in the summer months.

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The main attraction, of course, is the Big Cave, accessible either by an elevator from within the visitor center, or via a short trail leading from the visitor center to the natural entrance. The elevator descends (quickly!) over 600 feet (183 m) and deposits the visitor at the main level of the cave, from which a short walk leads to the Big Room, with remarkable decorations on all sides. The route through the Big Room is paved (visitors are forbidden to leave the trail unless guided) and generally accessible to wheelchairs, although one section is problematic for the wheelchair and can and should be bypassed. The route from the natural entrance is longer and rougher, although still on good trail, and stresses the natural history of the cave as well as the scenery, eventually linking up with the Big Room trail. Visitors return to the surface via the elevator. Hours vary seasonally but generally conform to regular business hours; the cutoff on starting a tour is somewhat earlier, so as to ensure that all visitors are out of the cave before closing. Admission to the cave via the natural entrance usually closes 4 hours or so before the cave closes entirely, while the last elevator down leaves about 2 hours before closing. The NPS site gives current information on hours.

The first-time visitor may wish to rent an audio headset at the visitor center before heading into the cave. This provides information on cave geology, history, formations, etc., at a number of locations along the trail. Headsets in several languages other than English are available.

Bat flights occur in the evening during much of the year, and visitors can watch for the swarms of bats from a small seating area/outdoor theater near the natural entrance. There is usually a brief ranger talk before the flight. The bats do not emerge from the cave in a single massive swarm, but there is usually a relatively well-defined peak period some tens of minutes after sundown; inquire at the visitor center to learn when to show up at the seating area.